Free tool
Which direction does your main door face?
Stand inside your main door looking out, read the compass bearing, and enter it here. You will see which of the eight Vastu directions the door faces, its guardian, element and planet, and what tradition says, with gentle suggestions that cost nothing.
What this page is, and what it is not
Vastu Shastra is the traditional Indian science of space. It maps a home onto a square grid, the Vastu Purusha Mandala, with a guardian deity (dikpala) for each direction, the five elements (pancha mahabhuta) at the corners and centre, and a planet for each direction. Everything below is that tradition, set out plainly. It is not structural engineering, and nothing here replaces an architect or engineer.
The texts do not agree on every detail. North Indian works such as Vishwakarma Prakash and Samarangana Sutradhara, South Indian ones such as Mayamata and Manasara, Kerala's Thachu Shastra and the Vastu chapter of Brihat Samhita differ on room placements and on which entrances are best. Where they differ, this page says so rather than picking one and calling it law.
Most homes, and nearly every apartment, cannot follow the ideal layout: the plot, the road and the builder decided the plan long before you moved in. Tradition itself offers adjustments within the space you have, and those are what this page focuses on. No direction here is a cause for fear, and nothing on this page needs buying.
How to find which way your main door faces
- Stand just inside the main door, looking out through it, the way you would walk out. The direction you face is the direction the door faces. A north-facing house is one whose main door faces north.
- Hold the phone flat, screen up, with its top pointing out through the door. Step a metre away from a steel door, grille or frame, and away from speakers and wiring, which pull the needle.
- Take two or three readings and use the middle one. If the result sits close to the edge between two directions, read about both.
- Magnetic north and true north differ by the magnetic declination, which across India is under about 2 degrees. A phone compass is rarely better than 5 degrees, so you can ignore declination here.
Eight directions, and why we do not compute the 32 padas
This tool divides the compass into eight equal 45-degree sectors centred on the four cardinal points and the four corners: north runs from 337.5 to 22.5 degrees, north-east from 22.5 to 67.5, and so on.
Many practitioners go further and split each wall into 8 entrance positions (padas), 32 in all, each named after a deity of the mandala's outer ring, such as Jayanta, Indra, Vitatha, Sugriva, Pushpadanta, Mukhya and Bhallata. Which pada a door falls in depends on where the door sits along the wall, measured from the centre of the house, not only on the direction it faces, and the texts and modern schools assign different results to several padas. A bearing alone cannot settle that, so this page does not guess. A local practitioner who can see the plan can.
The eight directions and the centre
Each direction of the Vastu Purusha Mandala has a guardian (dikpala), and the corners and centre carry the five elements. The planets follow the directional lords of BPHS chapter 3. The "element" for the four cardinal sides is shown as lying between its two corners, because the texts give the elements to the corners and the centre.
| Direction | Guardian (dikpala) | Element | Planet | Traditional use | Kept out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthUttara | Kubera, keeper of wealth | Between Water (north-east) and Air (north-west) | Mercury (Budh) | Living room, main entrance, open space and windows. A cash box or safe is traditionally kept against the south wall so that it opens towards the north. | Heavy storage, tall walls and clutter that block light from the north. |
| North-eastIshanya (Ishan) | Ishana, a form of Shiva | Water (Jal) | Jupiter (Guru) | Pooja room or a prayer shelf, meditation, a quiet reading corner, wide windows, and underground water such as a sump or borewell. This corner is kept the lightest, lowest and cleanest part of the home. | Toilets, the kitchen, a staircase, heavy furniture, and dustbins or junk. |
| EastPurva | Indra, king of the devas | Between Water (north-east) and Fire (south-east) | Sun (Surya) | Main entrance, living room, study, verandah and large windows for morning sun. A bathing area (without a toilet) is acceptable here in many schools. | Tall walls, heavy storage or tall trees that shut out the morning sun. |
| South-eastAgneya | Agni, the fire god | Fire (Agni) | Venus (Shukra) | Kitchen, the electrical meter and main board, inverter or generator: anything that uses fire or power. | Water tanks and borewells, and in many schools the master bedroom. |
| SouthDakshina | Yama, lord of dharma and time | Between Fire (south-east) and Earth (south-west) | Mars (Mangal) | Bedrooms, storage, a staircase, and thicker or higher walls with fewer openings. In hot regions this also keeps the house cooler. | Underground tanks or pits, and large open areas lower than the rest of the plot. |
| South-westNairritya | Nirriti (the ancestors, Pitris, in some lists) | Earth (Prithvi) | Rahu | Master bedroom for the head of the family, heavy wardrobes and storage, an overhead water tank, and the tallest part of the building. | The main entrance, toilets, pits, sumps, and leaving this corner empty and open. |
| WestPaschima | Varuna, lord of the waters | Between Earth (south-west) and Air (north-west) | Saturn (Shani) | Dining room, children's room, study, a staircase or an overhead water tank. | Leaving the west lower and more open than the east, in the stricter schools. |
| North-westVayavya | Vayu, the wind god | Air (Vayu) | Moon (Chandra) | Guest room, a grown daughter's room, toilets, laundry, garage, and storage of goods meant to move on, such as grain or finished stock. | Heavy permanent storage you rarely touch, and the pooja room. |
| CentreBrahmasthan | Brahma, the creator | Space (Akasha) | No graha in the BPHS list of directions | Kept open, light and uncluttered. Older homes put a courtyard (aangan) here; in a flat, an open living area or a clear floor does the same job. | Toilets, a staircase, pillars, heavy furniture and storage. |
Main entrance by direction
North, north-east and east are the traditionally preferred entrances; south-west is avoided where there is a choice; the rest depend on the school. Here is each one in brief.
North (Uttara)
Traditionally favoured
A north-facing entrance is one of the three directions tradition prefers. North belongs to Kubera, and the texts link it with income, opportunity and steady growth.
North-east (Ishanya (Ishan))
Traditionally favoured
Many schools rate a north-east entrance the best of all. Ishan is the sacred corner, and an opening here is said to let in morning light and clarity.
East (Purva)
Traditionally favoured
An east-facing entrance greets the rising Sun, and tradition links it with health, energy and new beginnings. It is one of the three preferred directions.
South-east (Agneya)
Views differ between schools
Many schools treat a south-east entrance with care because this is the fire corner, and some texts link it with restlessness or arguments. Others accept a door on the east-side part of this corner. Countless homes have this entrance and do well.
South (Dakshina)
Views differ between schools
South belongs to Yama, the lord of dharma, and opinion on a south entrance is divided. Many schools accept it when the door sits in the middle of the south wall rather than towards the south-west corner. A south-facing home is not a bad home.
South-west (Nairritya)
Traditionally avoided where there is a choice
Where there is a choice, tradition avoids a south-west entrance: this is the earth corner, meant to be heavy and closed. That is a preference for new construction, not a verdict on your home. Many families live well with this door, and no part of tradition asks you to rebuild.
West (Paschima)
Traditionally accepted
A west-facing entrance is generally accepted. West belongs to Varuna, and the texts link it with gains, reward for effort and contentment.
North-west (Vayavya)
Traditionally accepted
A north-west entrance is generally accepted. It is the corner of Vayu, the wind, and tradition links it with movement, travel, visitors and new connections.
Room placement guide
The commonly taught placements, with the alternatives most schools accept. Few homes match every row, and they do not need to.
| Space | Traditional zone | Also accepted | Usually avoided | Practical note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | South-east (Agni) | North-west | North-east, centre | Cooking facing east is the traditional ideal and often just a matter of where the stove sits. Ventilation and fire safety matter more than the direction. |
| Master bedroom | South-west | South, west | North-east, south-east | Tradition has you sleep with your head to the south or east, not the north. Placing the bed in the south-west part of whichever room you have is a free adjustment. |
| Pooja room | North-east (Ishan) | East, north | Under a staircase, sharing a wall with a toilet | A shelf or small mandir in the north-east of the living room is enough. Face east or north while praying. |
| Toilets and bathrooms | North-west, west | South (between south-east and south-west) | North-east, centre, south-west | Plumbing cannot be moved cheaply and should not be. Keep the door shut, the room dry and well ventilated, and leaks repaired. |
| Staircase | South, south-west, west | South-east, north-west | North-east, centre | Tradition prefers steps that turn clockwise as you climb. In apartments the common staircase is outside your flat and not part of your plan. |
| Study | East, north-east | North, west | Directly under a beam | Facing east or north at the desk is the main point, and turning a desk costs nothing. |
| Children's room | West | North-west, east | South-west (kept for the parents) | Tradition keeps the south-west for the head of the family, so children usually get the west or north-west. |
| Guest room | North-west | North, east | South-west | The north-west is the corner of movement, which suits people who come and go. |
| Storage and heavy items | South-west | South, west | North-east, centre | Moving existing wardrobes and boxes to the south and west walls is the simplest Vastu change there is. |
| Living room | North, east, north-east | North-west | South-west | Heavy sofas and cabinets go on the south and west walls, leaving the north and east side lighter. |
| Water | Underground: north-east, north, east. Overhead tank: south-west, west | Overhead tank: south | Underground in the south-west; overhead in the north-east | A tank's place is fixed by the building, so follow the plumber and structural engineer first. |
Applying Vastu in an apartment
In a flat, practitioners apply the mandala to your own flat, with its own front door, not to the whole tower. The building's orientation, the lift and the common staircase are fixed and outside your control, and tradition does not count them against you.
The same grid can be laid over a single room, so each room has its own north-east, south-west and centre. When a whole-home zone is wrong, the room-level zone is where most adjustments happen: a prayer shelf in the north-east of the living room, the bed in the south-west of the bedroom, the desk facing east.
Plot shape
- Square and rectangular plots with right-angled corners are preferred. For rectangles, tradition favours a length no more than about twice the width.
- A plot that extends at the north-east is traditionally welcomed; one with the north-east corner cut off, or extended at the south-west, is not.
- Gaumukhi plots, narrow at the front and wider at the back, are traditionally preferred for homes; Shermukhi plots, wide at the front, for shops.
- With an irregular plot, the usual traditional step is to treat the regular rectangle within it as the house plot, using the boundary wall, a hedge or landscaping for the odd part. No demolition is involved.
Slope and level
- Tradition prefers land that is higher in the south and west, especially the south-west, and slopes gently down towards the north and east, so rainwater drains towards the north-east.
- Floors inside follow the same idea: rooms in the south-west a step higher or level, never lower than the north-east.
- Drainage is a real engineering question. Let a civil engineer set the levels; where that agrees with tradition, good, and where it does not, the engineer wins.
Roads and surroundings
- Roads on the north and east are traditionally preferred. A road that runs straight into the plot (veedhi shoola) is treated with care in most schools, and some count it as favourable when it hits the north-east.
- Tall buildings or hills to the south and west are welcomed; to the north and east, they are said to block light. In a city you cannot choose neighbours, so the inside of the home is where your choices are.
Corrections that cost nothing, before anything else
Tradition puts placement, cleanliness and light ahead of any object. Try these first. They are free, they suit any direction, and they make a home nicer to live in whatever you believe.
- Clear the north-east and the centre of the home: no junk, no heavy boxes, no dustbin.
- Move heavy furniture you already own to the south and west walls, and lighter pieces to the north and east.
- Put the bed in the south-west part of the bedroom, with your head to the south or east.
- Turn the desk so you face east or north while working or studying, and the stove so you face east while cooking, where the layout allows.
- Open east and north windows in the morning, and keep them clean.
- Fix leaking taps and damp walls, broken fittings and stopped clocks. Tradition and common sense agree on this one.
- Use rooms differently before changing them: a spare room in the north-east can become the prayer or study room, and the south-west room the main bedroom.
On paid remedies and structural changes
You do not need pyramids, crystals, metal strips or special yantras to follow Vastu, and none of the classical texts asks for them. Be wary of anyone who says a disaster will follow unless you pay. Never break walls, move plumbing or alter the structure on Vastu grounds alone: talk to a qualified structural engineer, and check building approvals, before any structural work. Remedies, traditional or otherwise, are not guarantees.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which direction my main door faces?
Stand just inside the main door and look out, as if walking out. Hold a phone compass flat with its top pointing out through the door, away from steel frames and grilles, and read the bearing. Enter it above: 337.5 to 22.5 degrees is north, 22.5 to 67.5 north-east, and so on in 45-degree steps.
Which main door direction is best in Vastu?
North, north-east and east are the traditionally preferred directions, and west and north-west are generally accepted. Views on south and south-east differ between schools, and south-west is avoided where there is a choice. In practice the plot and the road decide the direction, and a safe, well-lit, uncluttered entrance matters in every case.
Is a south-facing or south-west facing house bad?
No. Tradition states a preference for new construction, not a sentence on existing homes, and many families live well in south-facing houses. Keep the entrance sturdy, bright and clean, give the south-west weight with furniture you already have, and use another door for daily use if there is one. There is no need to rebuild or buy remedies.
Do I need to correct for magnetic declination?
Not in India. The difference between magnetic north and true north is under about 2 degrees across the country, while a phone compass is often 5 degrees or more off near metal. If your reading falls within a few degrees of a sector edge, the page says so; take another reading and read about both directions.
Can Vastu be followed in a rented flat or apartment?
Yes, within limits. Practitioners apply the grid to your own flat and even to each room, so most adjustments are about where furniture goes and how rooms are used: the bed in the south-west of the bedroom, a prayer shelf in the north-east, the desk facing east, the centre kept clear. None of that needs the landlord's permission or money.
Why doesn't this tool show the 32 entrance padas?
The 32-pada scheme depends on where the door sits along the wall relative to the centre of the house, not only on the direction it faces, and texts and modern schools give different results for several padas. A compass bearing alone cannot place a door in a pada reliably, so the tool sticks to the eight directions it can measure.
Is Vastu the same as astrology?
No. Astrology reads the sky and your birth chart; Vastu reads the layout of a space. They meet in a few places, such as the planet linked with each direction and choosing a griha pravesh muhurat from the panchang, but you can follow one without the other.
Moving house or choosing a griha pravesh date? A consultation covers the timing from your chart. For the building itself, please consult a licensed architect or engineer.
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